Do you really need a laptop in the smartphone era?

It is estimated that there are over 6 billion smartphones in the world. That is an incredible amount of technology. The latest smartphones are becoming more and more – well, smart! With an ever-expanding array of functions, there is no denying that what smartphones can now do is becoming much closer to the functionality of a laptop. So, is there any benefit in today’s smartphone era to still having a laptop?

Laptops for leisure activities

It makes sense for a lot of people to have a laptop for their leisure activities. It makes it a lot more fun when you have a big screen available to you. Some people enjoy online gambling, and though you can use a bonus code for BetMGM casino to get started on either laptop or smartphone, you may want the bigger screen. The same is true for playing other games such as browser-based games, and even for watching movies.

Using your laptop and smartphone together

If you don’t have both a laptop and a smartphone then you lose the option to use them in tandem. For example, did you know that you can use your smartphone as an input device for your laptop? This can give you extra functionality such as a better microphone or an external camera that you can move around. Using the two technologies together is much more powerful.

Compatibility and software availability

It is undeniable that there is a huge amount of software available for your smartphone in the form of apps, but they may not be as widely available and compatible as the software options for your laptop.

Think of it this way: if you go looking for a freeware option for a program to perform certain specific tasks, there is every chance that you’re going to be able to find one for your laptop. Finding solutions in the various app stores for your smartphone is sometimes more difficult, and if you can find a decent one, you will often end up having to pay for it.

Laptops still give you that edge when it comes to compatibility, and even allow for things like modifications, that you may not be able to do with the software running on your smartphone, especially if you are using an Apple device, as they famously don’t allow for mods.

Extra ram and memory

Clearly, power is not a problem for many smartphones if you are carrying out basic functions. If you just want to watch videos and respond to emails on your phone, then even the most basic smartphone will have more than enough memory.

However, a lot of people have more advanced needs from their devices. If you’re a hardcore gamer, you’ll know exactly what I’m talking about. While the options for gamers are getting so much better, and cloud gaming is now available with Xbox, so you don’t need as much memory, some laptops allow you to do far more than just play simple games.

If you want to run the latest high-end games quickly and effectively, then you will need a laptop – and probably a laptop with a good amount of RAM and hard drive space, as well as lots of processing power. While phones are great, there is a reason you don’t see many people playing new gaming titles on them. They just aren’t that powerful yet, so sticking to the smaller mobile games is a better idea.

Similarly, a lot of people need laptops for work, where they have tasks that smartphones can’t quite manage. If you are a web developer, for instance, working from a smartphone isn’t really an option.

Screen size

One reason why people will always have a need for a laptop, even when smartphones improve further, is the fact that the screen size is so much bigger.

This is good for things like gaming and watching movies, but it isn’t just about fun. A lot of the benefits of having a larger screen are functional. Try doing your job on a mobile if you are a web developer or a photo editor. It’s so much more difficult without being able to see things in greater detail, and even casting your screen to another can lead to complications.

Even some of the basic tasks that so many of us need to handle daily, such as using a spreadsheet or writing a report, can be difficult on the smaller screen of a smartphone.

Realistically, there will always be demand for laptops.